Try a Wi-Fi free vacation and avoid the summer slide

My students are texting ninjas at school and I’d bet my last pay raise that they won’t be slowing down at home this summer.

Radio commercials about the “summer slide” add more reasons for concern about this perpetual texting. Academic gains made over the school year can fly out the door without the insistent figure in front of the classroom threatening kids to put down the phone and open a book.

Several years back, we told my daughter no cell phone until the end of sixth grade. We heard an endless chorus of how mean we were, how all her friends already had one and how she promised never to lose it or abuse it. Yet we held tight to our word.

But today younger and younger children are given smart phones.

Which translates to more folks who can relate to my meltdowns at those hateful text messages saying ‘you’re out of data and now in safety mode.’

According to radio celebrity John Tesh, many parents hope to take their wired offspring to remote campgrounds in no-man’s land just to experience a wi-fi free vacation.

Good luck with that.

Two years ago, we tried a similar plan except not to a log cabin with bunk beds. We headed off to Spain to impart some culture, practice her high school Spanish and celebrate family togetherness.

All while making it abundantly clear that we weren’t paying for international service.

After being disconnected from the online world for seven hours on the flight, my texting addict began showing signs of withdrawal. At the Madrid airport, when my first search was for el baño (restroom), her eyes were peeled for signs for “Wi-Fi libre” (free Wi-Fi).

To my dismay, our hotels offered slow but free Wi-Fi where she could text and tweet and post Facebook photos that looked like she was having the time of her life, not arguing about leaving the room to catch the tour bus.

Every day of that European adventure was drama battling the phone.

Whether or not there’s a texting ninja under your roof, here’s a few tried and true ideas to prevent early learning gains from slipping:

• Have your child keep a vacation diary. Record the names of parks, zoos, people, even animals encountered. (These are real treasures in years to come.)

• Visit the library for story time, look for special events, check out comic books and offer rewards for reading.

• Help them write a letter to a sports hero or favorite author or musician. Even today, everyone loves opening snail mail. Promise your vacationer that they might get a response. (Even Kelly Slater does reply.)